After a successful debut in 1999, the 2000 season would mark the second year of competition for Corvette Racing and the C5-R. After earning a podium finish in each of the races the team competed in their first year, Corvette Racing were aiming to achieve their first outright win.
Pratt & Miller took over as the sole constructor for Corvette Racing in 2000 and capitalized upon the lessons learnt from the previous year. The car was developed to be more competitive therefore the team committed to using the larger displacement Katech developed 7.0L V8 that was tested at the Las Vegas round the previous year.
The 2000 season would prove to be year Corvette Racing would make their 24 Hours of Le Mans debut. A lot of planning and a huge logistical effort was made to get the two cars, transporters, fifty people and around 12 tons of equipment to France. Corvette Racing were able to really impress in their first international endurance race capturing a second place finish in class.
Towards the end of the 2000 season Pratt & Miller built a second generation car. The changes were motivated by Goodyear (the tire supplier at the time) that had developed a new tire, that required changes to be made to the suspension. These changes included making the car two inches wider. The production based suspension parts had been dropped for a bespoke racing suspension setup, and the weight of the car was reduced by 100 lbs. The result to these changes made the C5-R a dominant GT race car.
2000 Corvette Racing Schedule & Results
Race | Race Date | Race Distance (time) | Track | Car Number | Class Position | Overall Position | Start Position | Drivers | Laps Completed | Fastest Lap | Series | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rolex 24 at Daytona | Feburary 6 2000 | 24 Hours | Daytona International Raceway (Road Course) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Ron Fellows / Justin Bell / Chris Kneifel | 723 | 1:47.038 | Grand Am | GTO |
Rolex 24 at Daytona | Feburary 6 2000 | 24 Hours | Daytona International Raceway (Road Course) | 4 | 10 | 24 | 3 | Kelly Collins / Andy Pilgrim / Franck Fréon | 573 | 1:50.466 | Grand Am | GTO |
The 48th Annual Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring Presented by Dodge | March 18 2000 | 12 Hours | Sebring International Raceway | 4 | 5 | 16 | 5 | Kelly Collins / Andy Pilgrim / Franck Fréon | 300 | 2:02.153 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
The 48th Annual Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring Presented by Dodge | March 18 2000 | 12 Hours | Sebring International Raceway | 3 | 6 | 24 | 1 | Ron Fellows / Justin Bell / Chris Kneifel | 201 | 2:01.610 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
24 Heures du Mans | June 17 2000 – June 18 2000 | 24 Hours | Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans (France) | 64 | 3 | 10 | 3 | Kelly Collins / Andy Pilgrim / Franck Fréon | 328 | 4:00.485 | FIA | GTS |
24 Heures du Mans | June 17 2000 – June 18 2000 | 24 Hours | Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans (France) | 63 | 4 | 11 | 2 | Ron Fellows / Justin Bell / Chris Kneifel | 327 | 3:58.862 | FIA | GTS |
The globemegawheels.com Grand Prix | August 6 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Mosport International Raceway (Canada) | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Ron Fellows / Andy Pilgrim | 91 | 1:19.745 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
Grand Prix of Texas | September 2 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Texas Motor Speedway (Road Course) | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | Ron Fellows / Andy Pilgrim | 116 | 1:20.543 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
Petit Le Mans Presented by Audi | September 30 2000 | 10 Hours | Road Atlanta Motor Sports Center | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | Kelly Collins / Andy Pilgrim / Franck Fréon | 358 | 1:20.423 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
Petit Le Mans Presented by Audi | September 30 2000 | 10 Hours | Road Atlanta Motor Sports Center | 3 | 3 | 11 | 1 | Ron Fellows / Chris Kneifel / Justin Bell | 357 | 1:20.184 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
GlobalCenter Sports Car Championship presented by Honda at Laguna Seca | October 15 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Laguna Seca Raceway | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | Ron Fellows / Andy Pilgrim | 109 | 1:24.997 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
GlobalCenter Sports Car Championship presented by Honda at Laguna Seca | October 15 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Laguna Seca Raceway | 4 | 4 | 13 | 4 | Justin Bell / Kelly Collins | 105 | 1:26.252 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
2 Hours and 45 Minutes at Las Vegas | October 29 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Road Course) | 4 | 3 | 9 | 5 | Justin Bell / Kelly Collins | 119 | 1:16.621 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
2 Hours and 45 Minutes at Las Vegas | October 29 2000 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Road Course) | 3 | 6 | 30 | 2 | Ron Fellows / Andy Pilgrim | 70 | 1:16.303 | American Le Mans Series | GTS |
#3 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R Drivers 2000 (#63 used for Le Mans)
Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows would make his second year start for Corvette Racing in 2000. He was a fundamental part to the development and success of Corvette Racing. He was one of the original test drivers along with Andy Pilgrim during the two year testing and development period for the Corvette C5-R. Fellows would bring Corvette Racing’s first victory in September 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway and later in 2001 would help give Corvette Racing their first victories at Rolex 24 at Daytona and Le Mans 24 Hours.
Fellows drove for Corvette Racing for nine years winning the drivers championship three times and helping Corvette Racing win eight championships. In 2007 Chevrolet introduced a limited edition Corvette Z06 “Ron Fellows Championship Edition” to celebrate Fellows success with Corvette Racing.
He retired from Corvette Racing after the 2008 season and started the Ron Fellows racing school located in Nevada. In 2011 with partners Carlo Fidani and Allan Boughton, Fellows formed Canadian Motorsport Ventures Ltd., which purchased Mosport International Raceway and renamed it Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Vitals
- Birthdate: September 28th, 1959
- Birthplace: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Residence: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Family: Wife Lynda, children Lindsay, Sam, Patrick
- Corvette Racing: 1999-2008
Notable Career Highlights
- Three time ALMS Drivers Champion – 2002, 2003, 2004
- Two time Le Mans 24 Hours Class Winner – 2001, 2002
- Overall winner in Rolex 24 at Daytona – 2001
- Four-time ALMS Most Popular Driver award – 2004-2007
- 19 SCCA Trans Am wins
- Five NASCAR wins
Andy Pilgrim
Andy Pilgrim would make his second year start for Corvette Racing in 2000. Pilgrim would bounce between the #3 and #4 car during the 2000 season due to Corvette Racing running a limited season. He would partner with Ron Fellows in the #3 car due to a Corvette Racing single car effort at Mosport and Texas. Pilgrim would later again partner with Fellows in the #3 car for the last two US rounds of the 2000 ALMS season.
Pilgrim was one of the integral people involved in the development of the Corvette Racing program being the first to drive the Corvette C5-R as a test driver in its first two years of development. He would go on to race for Corvette Racing from 1999 to 2003 giving the teams first win at Texas Motor Speedway in September 2000. He became famous for the ‘Pilgrim pass’ at the 2000 Petit Le Mans where he made a difficult move to steal the win from the Team Oreca Viper in the last minutes of the race, giving Corvette Racing their first endurance race victory.
Pilgrim born in England moved to the USA in 1982 and had his first professional race in 1984. Pilgrim received his first professional victory in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship in 1986 at Sears Point driving a Pontiac Firebird. Between July 1992 to September 1998, Pilgrim won 25 races and three IMSA championships, finishing a record 116 consecutive IMSA races without a DNF (did not finish). He took titles in the 1995 and 1998 IMSA Speedvision Cup championships, the 1997 IMSA GT1 championship and the 1996 Brazilian GT2 title. Pilgrim has two Rolex 24 at Daytona victories, including an overall win in 2004.
Away from the race track Andy Pilgrim is the CEO of Electronic Computer Services, a successful computer consulting and management company that employs more than 200 information technology professionals. Pilgrim also works with high school students, teaching them safe driving skills. In 2005, he created an instructional DVD on safe driving, “The Driving Zone: Essential Techniques For New Drivers,” in cooperation with Chevrolet NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.
Vitals
- Birthdate: August 18th, 1956
- Birthplace: Nottingham, England
- Residence: Delray Beach, Florida
- Family: Single
- Corvette Racing: 1999-2003
Notable Career Highlights
- Five podium finishes at Le Mans 24 Hours – 1997 (GT2), 2000 (GTS), 2001 (GTS) 2002 (GTS), 2003 (GTS)
- Third place in the 2002 ALMS driver standings
- First place overall at the 2004 Rolex 24 at Daytona
- 2005 SPEED World Challenge – GT champion
- Second place in the 2007 and 2008 SPEED World Challenge – GT championship standings
- Second place in the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT season standings
Justin Bell
Justin Bell joined Corvette Racing for four rounds in the ALMS plus Le Mans and Daytona for the 2000 season. Bell achieved a second overall finish in his first race for the team at Daytona. At Le Mans he unfortunately collapsed due to heat exhaustion early on the Sunday afternoon at the end of his last stint in the car. Bell was replaced by Johnny O’Connell from 2001 onwards.
Bell started the 2000 season driving the #3 C5-R partnered with Ron Fellows and Chris Kneifel for the endurance races. He then switched to the #4 C5-R for the last two US rounds of the 2000 ALMS season partnering with Kelly Collins.
Justin Bell is the son of the legendary racer and five times Le Mans race winner Derek Bell. Justin partnered with his father in a Porsche 962 in the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans and again in a McLaren F1 GTR in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. 1995 would be the year Bell joined the French Oreca team with the Chrysler Viper GTS-R in the Global GT Championship. Bell would go on to win the FIA GT2 Championship in 1996 with Team Oreca and went on to drive for Oreca in 1998 and 1999 in the FIA GT Championship. Bell competed at Le Mans for Team Oreca from 1997 to 1999 achieving a class win with the team in 1998.
Vitals
- Birthdate: February 23rd, 1968
- Birthplace: Rustington, Sussex, England
- Residence: Delray Beach, Florida
- Family: Wife Sarah, Children Oliver and Tallulah
- Corvette Racing: 2000
Notable Career Highlights
- Second overall in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours
- GT2 Champion in the 1997 FIA GT Championship
- First in GT2 class at the 1998 Le Mans 24 Hours
- Second in GT2 class at 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours
Chris Kneifel (Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
Kneifel returned for a second season with Corvette Racing in 2000. He would act as the third driver in the endurance races Corvette Racing competed in.
Early in his career, Kneifel raced in the Formula Ford and Formula Atlantic Series to then become a driver in the 1982-1984 CART Championship Car Series. Kneifel had 19 career starts in CART including the 1983 and 1984 Indianapolis 500, bringing six top 10 finishes.
After competing in CART he won the 1985 Trans-Am Rookie of the Year. Kneifel joined Corvette Racing in 1999 teaming with Ron Fellows and later with Franck Fréon and Johnny O’Connell. He would go on to win overall the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona. From 2001-2004 he rejoined the CART series but this time as the Chief Steward (Race Director).
Vitals
- Birthdate: April 23rd, 1961
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Residence: Cave Creek, Arizona
- Family: children Christian, Christina, Michael
- Corvette Racing: 1999-2001
Notable Career Highlights
- Three podiums with Corvette Racing in 1999
- Two podiums with Corvette Racing in 2000
- Two wins and three podiums with Corvette Racing in 2001
#4 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R Drivers 2000 (#64 used for Le Mans)
Kelly Collins
Kelly Collins first joined Corvette Racing at the 1999 Petit Le Mans. In 2000 Collins joined Corvette Racing for four rounds of the ALMS season and two endurance races outside of the ALMS. For 2000 Corvette Racing competed in four endurance races. For those endurance races (Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans) Collins was partnered with Andy Pilgrim and Franck Fréon, where they achieved a GTS Class win at Road Atlanta at the Petit Le Mans. For the last two US rounds of the 2000 ALMS season he partnered with Justin Bell in the #4 C5-R.
At the age of seven Kelly Collins began racing motorcycles. He started his racing career in 1987 earning six wins in Formula Ford and Formula Mazda.
From 1993 to 1996 Collins drove a Honda in the IMSA Series earning eight wins. He then would race a Porsche in the PSCR GT Championship in 1997 and 1998. In 1999 Collins won the GT3 Class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Porsche 911 RSR for Alex Job Racing finishing sixth overall. Collins continued to drive for Alex Job Racing in 1999 in the ALMS where he achieved another GT Class win at Sebring. After Sebring Collins moved to Martin Snow Racing, driving a Porsche 911 Turbo in the GTS class for four rounds.
Collins joined Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 1999, to then finish the season with Martin Snow Racing for the last two rounds in the ALMS.
Vitals
- Birthdate: April 21st, 1965
- Birthplace: Sun Valley, Idaho
- Residence: Newport Beach, California
- Corvette Racing: 1999-2003
Notable Career Highlights
- 1992 Sebring 12 Hours winner
- Eight wins in the IMSA Series between 1993-1996
- 1999 Rolex 24 at Daytona GT3 class winner
- GTS class win at 2000 Petit Le Mans
- Four consecutive GTS class Le Mans 24 Hours podiums 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003
- Three GT class wins in Grand-Am Sports Car Series – 2006
- Four GT class wins in Grand-Am Sports Car Series – 2008
Andy Pilgrim
Pilgrim joined Kelly Collins and Franck Fréon in the #4 car (#64 for Le Mans) throughout the four endurances races of the 2000 Corvette Racing season: Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans. For the regular distance races in the ALMS season, Pilgrim partnered with Ron Fellows in the #3 C5-R.
Franck Fréon (Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
Fréon first joined Corvette Racing for the four endurance races the team competed in for the 2000 season. Fréons native language being French, he was able to translate for predominantly English speaking team at their first outing at Le Mans in France.
Fréon began his racing career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in between 1986 and 1987. He then joined the French Formula Three Championship from 1988 to 1989. Fréon moved to the United States and joined the Indy Lights Championship between 1991 and 1993, where he achieved 4 wins and finished runner up in the 1992 and 1993 standings.
Despite his success in Indy Lights, he struggled to find a good team in the CART series, making only 4 starts (and 1 DNF) for 3 seperate teams in the 1994 season. His best finish was 12th in his CART debut at the Long Beach Grand Prix. In 1995 Fréon ran into the same hurdles, finishing 15th in the Long Beach season opener, to then fail to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in a 3 year old Lola chassis.
In 1994 Franck Fréon competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans where he achieved a second place finish in his debut, racing a Mazda RX-7 GTO for Team Artnature. In 1996 Fréon achieved a class victory in LMP2 driving a Kudzu DLM-Mazda for Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd.
In 1998, Franck Fréon leveraged his knowledge, experience and passion for cars to establish his business Pumpkin Fine Cars & Exotics.
Vitals
- Birthdate: March 16th, 1962
- Birthplace: Paris France
- Residence: New Jersey, USA
- Family: Wife Gina, children, Harrison and Isabella
- Corvette Racing: 2000-2003
Notable Career Highlights
- Second in 1992 Indy Lights standings
- Second in 1993 Indy Lights standings
- 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class win
- Seven 24 Hours of Le Mans class podiums – 1994 (GTS), 1995 (WSC), 1996 (LMP2), 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (GTS)